More than 185 tribes are found in Yemen, the majority located in the northern and eastern parts of the country. These tribes vary in size and influence. For security, political, and economic reasons, many of these tribes have been united under the umbrella of confederations. The three main tribal confederations currently in Yemen are Hashid, Bakil, and Medhej. Although Hashid is smaller than the other two, it is the most influential in Yemen’s political arena. The demographic size of Yemen’s tribal population in the northern and eastern tribal areas of Yemen is far smaller than that of the non-tribal population in the rest of the country.